PTSC sad over maxi driver’s death

Wendy Wescott

UPDATE:

The Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) is assisting in the investigation of the accidental death of 57-year-old maxi taxi driver, Wendy Wescott, at the City Gate hub in Port of Spain on Friday.

Wescott was killed when she was hit by a reversing maxi taxi as she was making her way from the washroom in the canteen to her maxi. PTSC noted that Wescott worked her maxi, Chunkulunks, on the Port of Spain to La Horquetta route on a daily basis.

“Presently the authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident and we at PTSC through our Health and Safety Department are supporting the authorities in these investigations and shall continue to monitor its progress.”

PTSC said the company was sincerely saddened by Wescott’s death and expressed its condolences to her family, friends and co-workers.
The driver, who was said to be traumatised by the incident, was questioned by the police and released.

Route 2 Maxi Taxi Association president, Linus Phillip, once again called on drivers to be more careful in and around the hub.

Phillip said he was told that another maxi driver reversed, hit Wescott, and she fell. He did not realise and continued reversing, rolling over her body. He said the feel of the bump, as well as other people hitting the sides of the maxi probably caused the driver to panic and drive forward, rolling over her again.

He said Wescott’s death was very unfortunate and called on drivers to be more vigilant. “In general people have to be more careful. The hub, as it is now, has no direct management and that is a problem. Therefore drivers themselves have to be a little more courteous and more aware of their surroundings.”

He said the Maxi Taxi Association completed a draft management proposal in 2012 and presented it to the government at the time to make the hub’s systems, rules and regulations legal.
However, the association still made efforts to ensue the safety of passengers. He said earlier this year, the association installed signs restricting passengers from walking past the fencing separating the disembarkation gate from the other loading stands, as well as road markings directing pedestrians where to go.

However, he said passengers, including primary school children following the example of the older children and adults, still walked past the signs and through the maxis parked in the waiting area. “They ignore the signs and we are not getting any enforcement of the signs. That in itself is a potential disaster waiting to happen. Today it’s a driver, tomorrow could be an eight-year-old child.”

For those with mobility issues, who would prefer not to take the stairs to the loading areas, he said, “That is why we have a pavement (sidewalk) against the wall. It brings you up to a certain point and there we opened the fence and painted a pedestrian crossing to go across into the bays.”

He said the transit police and security officers could enforce the rules of the signs but they did not although they all had discussions about the matter previously.

ORIGINAL STORY:

The Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) is assisting in the investigation of the accidental death of 57-year-old maxi taxi driver, Wendy Wescott, at the City Gate hub in Port of Spain on Friday.

Wescott was killed when she was hit by a reversing maxi taxi as she was making her way from the washroom in the canteen to her maxi. PTSC noted that Wescott worked her maxi, Chunkulunks, on the Port of Spain to La Horquetta route on a daily basis.

“Presently the authorities are investigating the circumstances surrounding this incident and we at PTSC through our Health and Safety Department are supporting the authorities in these investigations and shall continue to monitor its progress.”

PTSC said the company was sincerely saddened by Wescott’s death and expressed its condolences to her family, friends and co-workers.

The driver, who was said to be traumatised by the incident, was questioned by the police and released.